Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas' daughter Carys has paid a touching tribute to her late grandfather, Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, who passed away on 6 February. The 16-year-old took to Instagram to share a never-before-seen family photo featuring herself as a little girl with her older brother Dylan, 18, Kirk, his wife Anne Buydens, and Michael, which was accompanied by a love heart emoji. The teen also posted a headshot of Kirk, with a flower behind his ear, which was accompanied by a lengthy message. She wrote: "My Pappy was and forever will be my inspiration, my biggest supporter and the best grandpa in the world. I remember I would send him videos of me from my dance competitions and he would watch them on repeat."
Carys Douglas shared a sweet family photo with her late grandfather Kirk Douglas
Carys continued: "He would always ask me 'Carys, when are we going to dance together?' This is how he was with our entire family, always ready to hear what new shows we were in, what sports we were playing, what new songs I was singing. He was, and still is a tremendous inspiration to the world through not only his incredible acting career, but his philanthropy and generosity that moved mountains. Although he was adored by millions, to me he was my Pappy, my superhero. He came from nothing yet, through his drive and determination, made a name for himself. He joined our family together and lived an incredibly long life. I spent 16 years of my life loving and being loved by Kirk Douglas and that is the greatest gift I could ever have. I will forever be saving that last dance for you Pappy. I love you."
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Carys with her brother Dylan and dad Michael Douglas
Catherine was one of the first people to comment on Cary's tribute, writing: "What beautiful words from your beautiful heart to your beloved Pappy. He loved you so very much. What an extraordinary angel you have surrounding you." The Chicago actress had also marked her respects on her own Instagram account, writing: "To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight." Michael's oldest son Cameron, meanwhile, shared two black-and-white photos of his grandfather on social media, alongside the message: "The King. You will be sorely missed, but your run was nothing short of perfection! There are no words adequate to express the Love and reverence that I feel towards you. Your legacy lives on through the ages; as will my connection with you."
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Michael shared a collage of photos to pay tribute to his late father
Kirk's son Michael also honoured his late father with a lengthy tribute. He wrote: "Michael, meanwhile, wrote: "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.
"Kirk's life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet. Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son."
Kirk Douglas was a Hollywood heavyweight, working in cinema for over seven decades. He had 90 credits to his name - ranging from the 1940s to the 2000s. He is perhaps best-known for Spartacus, a Stanley Kubrick film which won four Oscars. Kirk himself was nominated for an Oscar three times; for Champion in 1949, The Bad and the Beautiful in 1852 and Lust for Life in 1956. Although he never won the coveted award, Kirk was honoured in the 1996 Academy Awards for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the movie industry. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Anne, and his three sons: Michael, Joel, and Peter. A fourth son, Eric, sadly died in 2004.
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